Goodbye
"Alright, girls, ah'll see ya tomorrow," shouted Apple Bloom as she ran towards Sweet Apple Acres as fast as her little legs could carry her. Her friends, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo, waved their goodbyes as each walked to their own respective homes to rest after a long day of Crusading. And still, not a one had their Cutie Marks. 'Ah guess we're no good at mail delivery,' the yellow filly thought. Mentally checking that off the list (And reminding herself to apologize to Derpy for scattering mail all over Ponyville's town square), she arrived at the farmhouse and skidded to a halt. From within came a sound so horrifying, so impossible, the filly almost turned and ran.
Big Macintosh, the silent iron giant of the Apple Family, was sobbing like a colt.
"Eenope, ah... ah don't believe it," he choked out as Apple Bloom walked into the house. "Ah c-can't... t-tell me yer jokin', doc". In the kitchen sat Big Mac, her sister Applejack, Fluttershy, and a bluish-grey pony the scared foal didn't recognize at first. It took seconds for Bloom to notice the veterinarian Cutie Mark he had, as well as the sad expression the young buck had. It took longer for her to notice that Fluttershy was hugging the orange mare, who had her face buried in the pegasus' shoulder. Before she could open her mouth, Big Mac noticed his confused sister standing in the door way and bolted up the stairs of the house.
The vet looked at the retreating stallion, then back at Apple Bloom. He stood and walked over to her. "Hello there," he said mournfully. "You must be Apple Bloom. My name is Doctor Wildheart." Apple Bloom suddenly realized his purpose for being at their home, and she almost couldn't hear what the buck said next.
"I'm sorry, kid. It- it's about Winnona. There's nothing more we can do."
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It had been little secret to Apple Bloom that her family's beloved pet was sick. Her fur had begun to clump up and her legs began to lock up. At first the Apples had written it off as age, and even Fluttershy had said it was nothing to be alarmed about.
Then the dog got worse. Her fur began to fall out, and some sort of scale-like growths began to sprout all over her face and back. The dog took on the appearance of a zombie, slowly rotting away. When Applejack took her beloved pet to Fluttershy's cottage again, the butter-yellow pegasus was shocked. She'd never seen anything like it. Upon consulting a vet, Winnona was put on an antibiotic wash and sent home.
But she wouldn't get better. Every time Apple Bloom had seen the dog in the past few weeks, Winnona looked frail and weak. Her fur came out in clumps during her baths, and the skin underneath was red and raw. Sometimes, the poor thing would start bleeding from several places at once. Hours the canine once spent working the fields with Applejack or Big Macintosh were now used to sleep next to Granny Smith. Eventually, she began to sleep more than Granny.
But neither Applejack nor Big Mac gave up. They took Winnona to Twilight, hoping she would know anything they could do. To their dismay, the Princess had simply shaken her head and gave it to them bluntly: Winnona was in bad shape, and likely would remain so. Of course, neither believed her and convinced Fluttershy to send for a friend from Canterlot. This was the last hope for their beloved pet.
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"Is there nothin' ya can do, doc?" Applejack finally looked towards Apple Bloom, who got a good look at the older mare's swollen red eyes. "P-please tell me there's something." The young farmer's voice was shaky, and her face was streaked by tears. Apple Bloom felt tears of her own begin to sprout behind her eyes. She'd seen Applejack sad before, but her sister was always tough enough to shake it off. The mare before her, clutching the buttery pegasus like a life preserver was a complete stranger to the filly.
Wildheart shook his head sadly. "Miss Applejack, I told you. That dog has a condition that we can't just treat with a pill. It's either a cancer or an auto-immune disease. That means months of medications, and a terrible standard of living for the poor girl. Your dog is suffering, Ma'am, and it is for the best that we end her pain." Apple Bloom felt a chill go down her spine at the vet's words. 'He wants to kill Winnona,' she wondered to herself.
Applejack's face turned, going from sad to almost enraged. She extracted herself from Fluttershy and began slowly walking towards the vet. "Now listen here, Doctor," she said, her voice low and steady. Apple Bloom had only heard her sister's voice like this when the filly had been caught sneaking out for late-night crusading. "You will find a way ta help mah dog get better or so help me Celestia ah will..."
"APPLEJACK!" Everypony in the kitchen (And Macintosh upstairs) spun around to see Granny Smith standing in the doorway to the living room. "Darlin', ah've lived on this here world for almost ninety-eight years," the matriarch continued, "And ah can tell ya truly that this young buck has it right. Winnona's only gettin' worse. Yer just bein' selfish by prolonging her pain. She deserves better that this."
Applejack had shrunk to the ground, fresh tears running down her face. Fluttershy walked over to her and once again wrapped her hooves around the farmer. "Apple Bloom," the older mare finally whispered. "I-if there was a-anything ya wanted ta say ta Winnona, now would be the time." The yellow filly, tears now freely flowing down her face, nodded and walked past Granny Smith and into the living room.
There, on a bed next to the fireplace, sat the small border collie as she slept peacefully. Apple Bloom rushed over and hugged the small dog, jousting her from her sleep. Then, Winnona licked the sobbing filly once on the head. When Bloom looked up into the dog's black eyes, it was as if Winnona was telling her not to worry. Those eyes were filled with such understanding that Apple Bloom didn't even flinch as the vet sat down next to her. "Don't worry, kid," he said. Apple Bloom wasn't sure if the vet was talking to her or the dog. "It'll be okay."
Things just blurred together after that. Each member of the Apple Family paid their respects, and before Apple Bloom knew it, Applejack and Big Mac had a leash around the dog's neck. Then they were gone, and Apple Bloom was in her room sobbing as Granny rubbed her back and kept silent vigil.
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The funeral was held the next afternoon in the western orchard. Each member of the Apple Family, the Elements of Harmony, and even Diamond Tiara and Filthy Rich were there to pay respects to the small dog. To Apple Bloom's surprise, Diamond Tiara wasn't rude or condescending. Rather, the pink filly gave Apple Bloom a hug and remained silent the whole procession. When it was over, Apple Bloom sat next to her family and stared at the small grave stone.
Here Lies Winnona Apple
The Best Friend a Family Could Ask For
Goodbye, O'l Girl
Author's Note
4:44 pm est, 16 October, 2014: This story is dedicated to my dog, Zoey Pearl Gilston. For the past 11+ years she has been a constant companion to my family, especially my father (Who she loved unconditionally). In the past month, her fur began to clump up. Upon taking her to the vet, she was put on a special dog shampoo and an antibiotic. It didn't help. So, as I write this, my dad is taking her to the vet for euthanisation.
Memento Mori, Zoey. See you on the other side.